Lading strap anchor assembly



May 17, 1966 G. w. LIEBIG LADING STRAP ANCHOR ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1964 INVENTOR. G/LBE/PT WL/EB/G BY Q E WW y 1966 G. w. LIEBIG 3,251,315

LADING STRAP ANCHOR ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,251,315 LADING STRAP ANCHOR ASSEMBLY Gilbert W. Liebig, Hammond, Ind., assignor to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 346,692 1 Claim.- (Cl. 105-369) The present invention relates to lading strap anchors which are employed on the sides of freight cars to fasten the ends of lading restraining straps and more particularly to a lading strap anchor assembly which is adapted to be attached to side walls of railway freight vehicles formed with a metal lining.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lading strap anchor assembly for the side wall of a freight car having a metal lining wherein the lading strap anchor assembly is constructed and arranged to be mounted between the metal lining and the outer side sheet of the side walls and thereby to maintain the interior surface substantially smooth and free from projections.

It is another object to provide a lading strap anchor assembly which includes means for guiding the end of the lading strap about the strap anchoring means.

It is still another object to provide a lading strap anchor which is of simple construction and easily applied to the side wall of railway freight cars.

Other objects and features will hereinafter In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section side elevation view of one end of a railway vehicle showing a side wall formed with a metal lining and embodying the lading strap anchor assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the lading strap anchor appear.

assembly attached to the side wall and taken generally in the encircled portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4'is a front elevational view of the lading strap anchor assembly shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a modified lading strap anchor assembly of the present invention formed from'a forging and shown attached to the side wall of a railway freight vehicle;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, in particular FIGS. 1-4 inclusive, there is shown a railway freight car 10 including a side wall 11 and an end wall 12. The end wall 12 includes a horizontally corrugated outer sheet 13 fixed at the lower end thereof to the end sill 15 and at the upper end to an end plate 15a. Suitably fixed to the inner face of the end wall 12 is a metal lining 16.

The side wall includes an outer side sheet 17 fixed at the lower end thereof to the side sill 14 and at the upper end to the side plate 18. Along the inner surface the outer side sheets 17 are fixed to the outer longitudinally extending flanges 19 of Z-channel members 20 of lengthwise spaced and upright side posts 21 fixed between the side sills 14 and the side plates 18. Fixed to the transversely disposed flanges 22 of each of the Z-members 21 is an upright angle 23 which is arranged so that the longitudinally extending leg 24 thereof lies substantially coplanar with the inner longitudinally extending flange 25 of the Z mernber 20.

Fixed to the coplanar faces of the inner flange 25 and the longitudinal leg 24 is the inner lining 26 which is formed of sheet metal or the like. The inner lining extends between the floor and the ceiling and along the side walls between the opposing end walls 12.

In railway freight cars having a metal lining construction, it may be desirable to provide means along the wall for fastening the end of the banding irons of lading straps thereto. Such lading straps are generally arranged to extend transversely of the car and be attached at each end to the associated side walls so that when tautened the strap restrains the lading against movement within the car. To this end each of the side walls may beprovided with lengthwise spaced rows of vertically spaced lading strap anchor means for fastening the ends of the lading strap thereto. These lading strap anchor means are preferably constructed and arranged so as to maintain the inner surface of the car free of projections and substantially planar so as to prevent damage to lading which may be disposed along the sides of car.

In accordance with the present invention the lading strap anchor assemblies 27 are constructed to maintain the inner surface of the lining 26 substantially smooth and free of projections. This is accomplished as shown by forming the lining sheets 26 with lengthwise spaced rows of vertically spaced openings 28 through which the lading strap anchor assemblies 27 are accessible. Preferably the rows of vertically spaced openings 28 are disposed along one side and adjacent to the side posts 21.

As shown, the openings, 28 are each of substantially rectangular contour and have rounded corners so as to facilitate the entry of the lading strap end therein. The openings 28 are located to one side of the end of the inner horizontal flanges 25 of the Z-channel member 21 to provide a ledge 29.

The lading strap anchor assembly includes upper and lower mounting brackets 30-30 which are vertically spaced substantially the same distance as the upper and lower horizontal edges 31 and 32 of the opening 28. The

mounting brackets 30-30 are each formed with an inner undercut edge 33a which overlies the inner horizontal flange 2 5 and which is fixed thereto as by welding. It is to be observed the inner edge 33 of the brackets 30-30 projects beyond the opposite vertical edges 34 and 35 of the openings 28 so as to abut against the ledge 29 along one side of the opening 28 and abut against the inner face of the sheet '26 along the other side. Moreover the brackets 30-30 are each formed along the right side as viewed in FIG. 3 with a transverse edge 36 which is fixed as by welding to the transversely extending flange 22 of the Z-mernber 20. The juncture of the edge 26 and the undercut edge 33 is formed with a sloping edge 37 to provide an open space between the mounting brackets 30-30 and the Z-member 20 through which debris or the like may drop.

Extending from the outer end of the transverse edge 36 is a longitudinal edge 38 from which there extends an inwardly sloping edge 39. The inwardly sloping edge 39 connects with a transverse edge 40 extending from the left end of the inner longitudinal edge 33.

Disposed between the upper and lower brackets 30-30 and intermediate the vertical edges 34 and 35 of the openings is an anchor post 41. The anchor post 4 1 is preferably formed of a substantially rectangular section of which the corners are broken away to remove sharp edges. The anchor post 41 is fixed within substantially rectangular slots 42 formed along the inneredge 33 of the mounting brackets 30-30 so that the inner face thereof lies substantially flush with the inner face of the side sheet 26. Preferably the upper and lower ends of the anchor posts 41 project slightly beyond the respective upper and lower mounting brackets 30-30.

Fastened between the upper and lower mounting brackets is a guiding plate 43 of substantially hat-shaped section including a concave portion 44 from which there projects longitudinally extending flanges 45-45. The guide plate 43 as shown is disposed so that the concave portion 44 lies outwardly of the anchor post 41 and 'provides a guiding surface 46 in outwardly spaced relation to the anchor post 41 so that the usual banding iron on the end of the lading strap is guided about the anchor post 41 from one side to the other.

It is to be noted that the longitudinally extending flanges 4545 each project partially into the opening 28. This arrangement of the flanges 4545 permits the application of a weld along the side edges 34 and 35 of the opening 28 to the flanges 4545 so as to fasten the lading strap anchor assembly 27 to the inside surface of the metal lining 26.

One manner of attaching the individual anchor strap assemblies 27 to the car may be accomplished by intiallyassembling the mounting brackets 3030, the anchor post 4-1 and the guide plate 43 as above described. Thereafter the individually assembled lading strap anchor as semblies 27 are fixed to the side posts 21 and vertically spaced to correspond to the vertical spacing of the openings 28 which may be punched out of the metal lining before the lining 26 is attached to the side posts 21. The mounting brackets 30-60 as above described are fastened to the side posts 21 by the application of a weld at the mating surfaces of the undercut edge 33 with the inner horizontal flange 25 and the mating surfaces of the edge 36 with the transverse flange '22.

The lining is thereafter fixed to the side posts 21 with the openings 28 aligned with the corresponding spaced anchor post assemblies 27., as shown in particular in -FIGS. 1 and 4. Thereafter the weld is applied along the side edges 34 and 35 of the opening 28 and the longitudinally extending side flanges 45 of the guide plate 43 to fix the lading strap anchor assembly 27 to the lining.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-7 inclusive there is shown an alternative construction of the lading strap anchor assembly 110 in which the mounting bracket and guiding surface are integrally formed from a forging.

The forged lading strap anchor assembly 110 comprises a body portion 111 having a planar vertical inner face 112 which underlies the opening 28 formed in the lining sheet 26. The planar face 112 is formed with a concave surface 113 which forms the guiding surface for the banding iron of the lading strap. The concave surface 113 is disposed substantially centrally of the rectangular planar face 112 to define planar margins 112a thereabout which underlie the inside of the lining sheet 26 and extend into the opening 28.

The outer side of the body portion 111 as shown in FIG. 6 is inclined outwardly toward the outer end of the transverse flange 22 of the Z-channel member 20 to which the end of the body portion 111 isfixed as by welding. Extending from the top and bottom of the body are outwardly projecting horizontal reinforcing ribs 114.

The body portion 111 underlying the inner horizontal flange 25 of the Z-channel member 22 is cutaway along an outwardly sloping diagonal 115 which intersects at its outer end the inner surface of the inclined body portion 111. Extending inwardly from the top and bottom of the outer end of the inclined body portion 111 and the sloping cutaway surface 115 are ribs 116 having transverse edges '117 which are abuttable against the transverse flange 22 of the side post 21 and are welded thereto.

The ribs 116 are also formed longitudinally extending edges 1 18 which are spaced outwardly from the inner horizontal flange 25 to provide an access space through which debris may fall.

The anchor post 119 is of substantially rectangular section and is fixed at the lower and upper ends thereof as by welding within depressions 120 formed along the upper and lower margins 112 so as to be located intermediate to the side edges 34 and 35 of the opening 28.

The depressions 120 are formed such that the width of the anchor post 119 is accommodated therein whereby the outer surface thereof lies substantially flush with the planar surface 112.

The inner surface of the anchor post 119 as shown in particular in FIG. 6, is spaced from the concave guiding surface 113 to provide a passageway from the banding strap of the lading strap around the post.

The lading strap anchor assembly may be similarly fastened to the side walls as heretofore explained in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5. Initially the anchor post.1'19 is fastened to the body portion of the forged mounting bracket 111 as by welding. Thereafter, the lading strap assemblies 110 are fixed to the side posts in vertical spaced relationship coresponding to the spacing of the openings 28 in the lining.

The mounting bracket 111 is fixed by the application of a weld along the mating surfaces of outer inclined end of the body portion 111 with the transverse flange 22 and along the mating surfaces of the transverse edges of the upper and lower ribs 1&16 with the transverse flange 22.

After the sheet 26 has been applied to the side posts 21 such that the openings 28 are aligned with the anchor post assemblies, the weld is applied along the planar margins 112a and the edges 31, 32, 34 and 35 of the opening 28. It is to be observed that when thus fixed the lining sheet 26 overlies the upper and lower ends of the anchor post 119 which is fixed within the depressions 120 so as to provide additional reinforcement for holding the anchor post 119 fixed.

What is claimed is:

A lading strap anchor assembly for a railway freight vehicle having a side wall including lengthwise spaced side posts, an outer side sheet, and an inner lining having a substantially rectangular opening adjacent said side posts, said lading strap anchor assembly comprising a pair of horizontally disposed and vertically spaced brackets adapted to be fixed to said side-posts between said outer side sheet and said lining, said mounting brackets being vertically spaced to span the height of said vertical opening in said lining and having planar edges engageable with the inner face of said lining, and an upstanding guiding plate of substantially hat-shaped section including a central concave portion and longitudinally extending side flanges, said upstanding guiding plate being fixed bets-ween said vertically spaced brackets, with said side flanges extending in substantial alignment with said planar edges and having the inner portions therof extending inwardly of the sides of the opening whereby said flanges are adapted to be fixed to the side edges of the openeng, notches formed in said planar edges of each of said brackets so as to be located intermediate the side edges of the rectangular opening,- an anchor post extending between said brackets and seated within said notches, and means fixing said anchor post within said notches.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,610,587 9/1952 Pietzsch 105369 2,716,382 8/1955 Johnson 105369 3,089,436 4/1963 Buckley 105-369 3,125,966 3/1964 Johnson 105369 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Examiner. 

